Toward a dynamic representation of hydrological connectivity at the hillslope scale in semiarid areas

Smith, Mark W., Bracken, Louise J. and Cox, Nicholas J. (2010) Toward a dynamic representation of hydrological connectivity at the hillslope scale in semiarid areas. Water Resources Research, 46 (12). W12540. ISSN 0043-1397

[img]
Preview
Text
2009WR008496.pdf - Published Version

Download (1MB) | Preview
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1029/2009WR008496

Abstract

[1] Hydrological connectivity has emerged as an effective means to understand and manage fluxes of water and transport of nutrients and sediment at the catchment scale, especially as fluxes are modified by changing climate and land use. However, hydrology has not yet adopted it as a unifying concept given uncertainties regarding different conceptions and gaps in understanding of how connectivity functions at different temporal and spatial scales. This paper outlines a conceptual model of hydrological connectivity for semiarid hillslopes and highlights the direction that future attempts to quantify dynamic hydrological connectivity might take. Rainfall-runoff analysis emphasizes the influence of antecedent moisture and temporal storm structure on hillslope-scale flood generation. Plot-scale field flume experiments demonstrate the spatial and temporal variability of flow resistance. The morphological runoff zone framework is presented as a method to upscale such results to the hillslope and incorporate the broader-scale issue of hillslope form. The need to design field experiments to inform attempts to model feedbacks between runoff depth and flow resistance forms the central argument of this paper. Patterns of infiltration and resistance across entire flow paths and their variability throughout a storm event are the key to understanding dynamic hydrological connectivity at the hillslope scale.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: F800 Physical and Terrestrial Geographical and Environmental Sciences
Department: Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Geography and Environmental Sciences
Depositing User: Elena Carlaw
Date Deposited: 21 Sep 2021 14:48
Last Modified: 21 Sep 2021 15:00
URI: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/47310

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics